An estimated 2.2 million Georgians will travel 50 miles or more for Thanksgiving, an increase of 35,000 over last year. Triple A says that’s the second-highest number of travelers since 2005. About one and a half million will be driving, and the day before Thanksgiving is typically the busiest on the roads.
As usual, state and local law enforcement advise motorists to drive safely and have a lot of patience. The Georgia Department of Transportation will suspend lane closures on Georgia interstates, major state routes, and roads near major shopping centers, malls, or districts beginning at 5 a.m. on Wednesday until 10 p.m. on Nov. 26.
If you are driving this holiday, gas prices are down from this time a year ago. In the greater Athens area, the average cost of a gallon of gas was $3.06. Currently, it’s $2.77 a gallon, and that’s down eleven cents from a month ago. The cost in Athens is five cents lower a gallon than the state average, and 54 cents a gallon lower than the national average.
